Chapter 11 Towns, townscapes and squares
An appreciation of landscape – the aesthetic quality of the countryside – has been part of our culture for at least two hundred years, but its urban equivalent – townscape – is a relative newcomer. The urban theorist and graphic delineator of towns Gordon Cullen drew our attention to ‘townscape’ in a series of articles in the Architectural Review about thirty years ago. His subsequent book, The Concise Townscape, remains a valuable introduction to the subject. What Cullen and others have sought to show is that towns have aesthetic qualities just as rich as the countryside, and that the recording and preserving the poetry of the urban scene is as important as protecting the beauties of the landscape. What, then, makes up the beauty of towns, both ancient and modern? Different theories prevail, especially between urban theorists of a European as against American bent. On the whole, we are dealing with the following key qualities, each worthy of exploration through the sketchbook: • squares, enclosed places and centres of activity; • routes through the town such as streets, alleyways, lanes and footpaths; • landmarks of varying types such as church spires, high office buildings and transmitter masts. 90 Understanding architecture through drawing
These important elements of urban character are supported by a secondary layer of features that provide rhythm, patterning and changes of scale or punctuation. Hence we may find that a pattern running through the glazing of an office building is echoed in the paving of a square at its base: façade and space are thus united by a commonality of line. The sketchbook is a useful tool for understanding towns and cultivating an awareness of the complex visual language of the city. Unlike the countryside, many cities, especially big modern ones, are very complicated; their spatial structure may be disjointed and the skyline a battleground for different styles. In spite of this, the freehand sketch is a useful starting point for analysis. As when drawing a landscape, one has to be selective, and it is best to avoid a too literal representation of the urban scene. A good townscape drawing focuses upon relationships and highlights the crucial elements such as the street line, silhouette and entry point. Whether one is drawing countryside or a town, establishing the structure of the view is of great importance. The relationship of hedges and trees to a field in the landscape sketch is analogous to that of buildings and towers to a street in the townscape drawing. To focus upon the windows and doors of the